


Don't You Know I Love You?

by notinmyvocab



Category: A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV), A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket, Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: Angst, F/F, Feels, Love, based on The Price of Salt, it's a sweet moment I promise, mother/daughter - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-24 07:18:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17096261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notinmyvocab/pseuds/notinmyvocab
Summary: Jerome and Esmé spend their nights fighting. Their daughter, Violet, spends her nights alone. One night, her mother finds her.Based on The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith





	Don't You Know I Love You?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [msariadneoliver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/msariadneoliver/gifts).



> Prompt: Okay so I have this ASoUE/Carol AU where Violet is Esmé and Jerome's young daughter, a la Carol, Harge and Rindy. And Esmé and Jerome had a similar bitter divorce/custody battle. Would you mind writing something with that kind of AU, like a soft mother/daughter thing for Esmé and Violet, or something else you think could work for it?

Violet knew what divorce was. She knew that though it meant families split apart, it was for everyone’s best interest. She knew the logic behind it.

It didn’t help.

Jerome wanted to leave Esmé because really, it was for the best. Why stay with her when he couldn’t make her happy? He made sure Esmé had everything; she was the most stylish, most in person to walk the streets. But no man could make Esmé happy.

Only that woman could, that Olivia Caliban. She was young, beautiful; Jerome couldn’t really blame Esmé. Hell, he might have left Esmé for Olivia if circumstances were different. But just like Violet, understanding the logic didn’t help.

The divorce process was nasty and taxing. If they owned less things; if they had been poorer, this would have been easier. In all honesty, it wasn’t even the material items that complicated matters the most. It was Violet.

Who could look out for her?

Who could take care of her?

Who could give her a better life?

The arguing at night was mostly about that. Violet heard them when they thought she was asleep. Even the large penthouse couldn’t mask the sound of shouting between two bitter parents.

More than once, Violet fell asleep in the library. She didn’t read there, but rather sought refuge in the large comfy chair by the fire. The shouting wasn’t completely silent there, but it was where it was the quietest. It was her only safe haven.

“It’s late you know,” Esmé said, approaching the overstuffed chair. “Surely your bed’s more comfortable. It ought to be. Comfortable beds are in right now.”

Violet smiled softly, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m just not tired yet.” It was a complete lie. She was absolutely exhausted, but how could she sleep when the arguing went on for hours? The bags under her eyes gave away the truth.

Esmé wasn’t quite sure what to do. Jerome had been better at playing both mother and father while Esmé had taken up the position of role model and friend. She taught Violet style and to not be afraid to go after what she wanted. But to be a doting mother was unfamiliar territory. She supposed she ought to start learning if she was going to insist that she have visitation rights.

She nudged Violet out of the chair and then took her spot before pulling Violet into her lap like she used to when Violet had been much younger. Esmé kissed the top of Violet’s head, and inhaled deeply, filling up on her daughter’s scent and transporting back to when Violet had first been born. She really had been an ugly baby, and those first few months had been difficult for Esmé. How could she love a baby that resembled more of an old man than a little girl? It hadn’t been very in.

But that one particular night when a storm raged on outside, and Violet wouldn’t stop crying from fright, Esmé picked her up and rocked her until she fell into a peaceful deep sleep. She wished she never put Violet back down into her crib that night. Despite it being fourteen years ago, Esmé couldn’t help but feel like she would lose Violet because she let her go and put her down.

“I’m sorry you have to listen to us fighting,” Esmé murmured. “We’re not fighting because of you.”

“You’re fighting because you hate each other,” Violet said.

“No, that’s not true.” It was, actually. But the fighting went deeper than that. “We just… don’t love each other anymore.”

“Did you ever?”

Esmé opened her mouth to answer, and then closed it again. Leave it to Violet to ask such an impossible question. “Sometimes you’re too brilliant for you own good,” she murmured. “I don’t know, darling. But I promise I’ve always loved you, and that’s not about to change.”

Violet wanted desperately to believe her mother. But there was a part of her that wasn’t sure about any of this. If Esmé could so easily replace Jerome with Olivia, who was to say that Violet couldn’t be replaced? It was a childish thought, but one she couldn’t get out of her mind. “But what if I’m no longer in? And you replace me with a more fashionable child? Just like you’re replacing Father?”

“You think I’m leaving your father because he’s no longer in?” Esmé asked, surprised and almost amused by the revelation. “Darling, this isn’t a fashion statement. You are not a fashion statement.” She kissed Violet’s cheek. “No matter what, you will always be in to me.”

“That’s a terribly cheesy line,” Violet said, but she was grinning proudly.

“It is, isn’t it?” Esmé laughed, kissing Violet’s cheek again. “How about you pick out a book that we can read together?”

“Mother, I’m old enough to read on my own.”

“Please, Violet.”

There was a heartbreaking desperation in Esmé’s voice. So Violet nodded and stood up, and went to go find a book.

Esmé smiled softly. It was a smile hid her sadness. Jerome would take Violet to her grandparents’ house for the upcoming holidays and Esmé… well, she wasn’t quite invited. While this custody war waged on, Esmé could agree to at least let Violet spend the holidays with her grandparents who loved her dearly and would offer a reprieve from the constant bickering.

Violet would be having a fun holiday while Esmé would be off with Olivia. She didn’t know where they would go, she just knew that they needed to get out of this city for a little while. Maybe things between her and Jerome would cool down during that time.

But for now, she was with her daughter in the large library in front of a roaring fire keeping them cozy.

**Author's Note:**

> For the wonderful msariadneoliver who is a wonderful writer and friend! Bright solstice, love!


End file.
